In the art of metal fabrication, methods are disclosed for transforming solid circular workpiece blanks into pulleys and like-type bodies via splitting of the exposed peripheral edge of the workpiece blank. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,758,930 and 3,828,619 disclose such methods while U.S. Pat. No. 3,225,525 suggests other metal splitting techniques to form pulleys and wheel flanges.
In a prior patent application identified by Ser. No. 09/035,570 filed Feb. 19, 1998 the present inventor discloses a machine tool which splits and swages the outer peripheral edge of a solid disk blank workpiece to form a pulley groove while simultaneously it swages an inner bore edge of the workpiece to form bearing retaining flanges. The teaching of this prior invention is incorporated by reference herein as it may pertain to the present inventive concept.
The present invention, however, provides an apparatus which operates in association with a machine tool as may be described in the art, which apparatus loads a solid disk workpiece blank into the machine tool while simultaneously it unloads a finished split and swaged product out of the machine tool and delivers it to a collection device.
It is in accordance with at least one aspect of the present invention an object to provide an automatic loading and unloading apparatus for a machine tool in which both the machine tool and apparatus of the invention are computer controlled for a continuous and completely automatic operation.